Almanzor puts in a Champion display
ALMANZOR won a thrilling race for the Qipco Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown.
The French Derby winner pounced on the outside under Christophe Soumillon, after being held up in the rear early on in a race run at a strong gallop, to continue a brilliant season for trainer Jean-Claude Rouget.
The Aidan O’Brien-trained Found – second last year to Golden Horn – put in a strong challenge under Frankie Dettori, replacing the injured Seamie Heffernan, but Almanzor (7-1) was just too strong close to home. Minding, also trained by the Ballydoyle maestro, was third.
Soumillon said: ‘He’s a great horse. I’ve won on him a few times and I knew today he was going to run a great race. It was not easy before the race to think that we were going to win it, because it was a really tough Irish Champion Stakes, but we got lucky that the pace was strong and he was very relaxed at the back.
‘When I asked him to go he had a strong turn of foot. I was very confident, but when I saw Frankie coming on the inside, I knew he was going to give me a hard time for a couple of hundred metres. However, only champions can win a race like this and I’m so pleased to ride him.’
Rouget said: ‘He’s a fantastic horse. I was very relaxed like him for the first part of the race and when I saw him coming on the outside I thought he could challenge for the victory, and he did.
‘We’ll see what the plans are now. He looks to have had quite an easy race, but it was still a Group One. When I saw the field before the race with all these champions, I thought 7-1 was a bit too much, but after the race I think the betting was good. We’ll see if he goes to Ascot (Champion Stakes) or he goes to Chantilly for the Arc. We’ll decide after a good night!’
Rouget was unable to win the day’s other Group One as his 11-8 favourite Qemah was beaten into third behind O’Brien’s Alice Springs (5-1) ridden by Ryan Moore. Veteran Kevin Prendergast won the valuable Group Two Boomerang Stakes with his Irish 2,000 Guineas winner Awtaad.